Cultural Heritage and Climate Change

The briefing argues that archaeology and cultural heritage provide critical data on long-term sustainability and the history of climate-changing systems, yet remain 'effectively invisible' in major climate response frameworks. It highlights a significant funding and staffing disparity between natural and cultural resource management within the U.S. National Park Service and the U.S. Global Change Research Program. The speaker proposes establishing a federal Climate Heritage Coordination Office, linking heritage to climate research and investment, and expanding NGO engagement to better integrate human history and community values into climate adaptation planning.

• Archaeology provides unique evidence of long-term sustainability, such as waterfowl harvesting practices at Lake Myvatn in Iceland that have operated on a "millennial scale" since the 10th century.
• The history of the systems that created climate change is documented through archaeology, as seen in Lowell, Massachusetts, where shifts in labor, energy, and economy are visible in the physical record of early industrialization.
• There is a significant disparity in U.S. federal investment between natural and cultural resources; from 1995 to 2008, funding and staffing for natural resources increased by 71% and 31% respectively, while cultural resources decreased by 19% and 27%.
• Cultural heritage and archaeology are largely absent from major climate response structures, including the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) and major climate NGOs, where heritage is often only mentioned in the context of indigenous peoples.
• Climate change impacts on heritage include not only visible erosion and sea-level rise but also less visible threats such as rising brackish water tables saturating sites from the bottom up, as observed at Jamestown Island.
• Scotland is cited as a leader in cultural stewardship and climate adaptation, specifically through the SCAPE project, which uses accessible databases and citizen science to monitor coastal heritage risks.
• The speaker recommends four primary actions: creating a federal Climate Heritage Coordination Office, linking archaeology to climate research and investment, fostering climate heritage demonstration projects, and expanding NGO attention to heritage.

APA

Environmental and Energy Study Institute (2020). Cultural Heritage and Climate Change. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041520.pdf

Chicago

Environmental and Energy Study Institute. Cultural Heritage and Climate Change. 2020. https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041520.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Environmental and Energy Study Institute |title=Cultural Heritage and Climate Change |date=April 2020 |url=https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041520.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{environmentalandenergystudyinstitute2020cultural, author = {{Environmental and Energy Study Institute}}, title = {{Cultural Heritage and Climate Change}}, institution = {Environmental and Energy Study Institute}, year = {2020}, month = apr, url = {https://www.eesi.org/files/transcript_041520.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }